Fifth column

A fifth column is a group of people residing in a given country who work to actively support a wartime enemy of that country from within by engaging in espionage or sabotage or who engage in such activities in anticipation of war. The term derives from the Spanish Civil War.

There were two notable instances of fifth column accusations aimed at Japanese Americans. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox journeyed to the islands and subsequently made the infamous statement, "I think the most effective Fifth Column work of the entire war was done in Hawaii with the exception of Norway."[1] Despite J. Edgar Hoover's later denial of such activity—and the subsequent lack of any evidence to corroborate Knox's assertion—the charges stuck. The subsequent Roberts Commission Report also failed to contradict these charges.

Later, in February 1942, influential syndicated columnist Walter Lippmann wrote a column titled "The Fifth Column on the Coast" based on his discussions with California Attorney General Earl Warren that repeated Knox's charges and that cast doubt on Nisei as well as Issei. The fifth column specter raised by both of these instances—despite the lack of any actual evidence to suspect Japanese Americans—contributed to the climate that culminated in Executive Order 9066.

Footnotes

Article written by Walter Lippmann for the Washington Post that calls on the U.S. government to take action against persons of Japanese ancestry, aliens and citizens alike, in military zones, Feb. 12, 1942.
Courtesy of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, University of Washington Libraries microfilm A7378, Reel 2, Box 2, Frame 0263, Item 1401
More info »

Article written by Walter Lippmann for the Washington Post that calls on the U.S. government to take action against persons of Japanese ancestry, aliens and citizens alike, in military zones, Feb. 12, 1942.
Courtesy of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, University of Washington Libraries microfilm A7378, Reel 2, Box 2, Frame 0263, Item 1401
More info »

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.